This workshop almost ended badly

Give me three minutes to show you:

🎨 How we redesigned a podcast
📣 The Super Mario Effect
💻 20 Design tips for non-designers

90 minutes into a design workshop with over 30 people watching, I felt lost.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Khe Hy (Founder of RadReads) and I hosted a Podcast Cover workshop.

​The goal was to redesign his podcast cover artwork in two hours.

Exactly 100 people registered, and we took the entire time to redesign his podcast.

We used a compressed version of the Inside Out design method I take all my clients through. It reveals themes that even you don't know will surface.

Slides 2 and 3 reveal some of the questions I asked Khe, and the visuals to connect some of the dots between my questions and his answers.

During the workshop, I was asked if getting outside feedback was part of my process.

100% no.

A chef doesn't ask his customers to come and comment on the meal while it's being prepared.

And, design is similar.

But, for entertainment purposes, it's a fun experiment even if it's not natural to design live in front of a large group of commentators.

Through this process, we explored themes through Khe's stories and experiences that helped make his design decisions timeless.

Here's Khe's podcast art before and after.

While some of the colors remained the same, we landed on new imagery, fonts, and graphic elements to create a more reflective mood.

​At the end of the session, I was 95% there but needed to play with the colors a bit more.

​We ended on a positive Q&A, but I felt exhausted. Thankfully with just a few tweaks, it came together within minutes.

​I highly recommend checking out Khe's podcast, The Examined Life.

​Khe now has a design kit to serve as a starting point for his design projects.

​And if you feel like you're missing your starting point for your business or brand, then you might want to check out this.

🎨 Better Design Decisions

Have you ever wondered what font size to use for your own website? This tool will determine it for you.

Trick your brain into learning more with the Super Mario Effect.

​20 unconventional design tips for non-designers.

📸 Make It Yours Moment

Next week I'll be diving into my writing process and how I went from not writing at all to managing four blogs and two newsletters.